A Very Merry Cricket Prolongs the Goodwill of A Cricket in Times Square

If you're lucky enough to strike gold with a children's movie or series, it stands to reason that a sequel or a Christmas special are likely future possibilities. It didn't take Chuck Jones long to follow his adaptation of George Selden's A Cricket in Times Square with A Very Merry Cricket, in which feisty Tucker Mouse (Mel Blanc) and gentle Harry Cat (Les Tremayne), fed up with the materialistic rabble of a New York Christmas, decide to pay a visit to their dear friend Chester C. Cricket (Tremayne) in hopes that he can return with them and remind the frazzled New Yorkers that Christmas should be a time of peace, joy and brotherhood.

There is just as much music in this second cricket cartoon as in the first. More, actually, because Chester's wings are not the only music makers. Harry and Tucker have a chance to sing, and even Chester occasionally uses his voice for tuneful purposes for a change. Because this is a Christmas special, there are snippets of several traditional Christmas songs, sometimes with altered lyrics. Chester also slyly adapts Three Blind Mice to fool a lanky alley cat (Blanc) who intends to make supper out of Tucker, and Tucker launches into a tirade against human consumerism that sounds suspiciously like My Fair Lady's A Hymn to Him.

And while watching this Christmassy sequel, it's inevitable to draw comparisons with How the Grinch Stole Christmas, perhaps the most famous Chuck Jones special of them all. In some ways, wise-cracking Tucker is a lot like the grouchy Grinch. He observes all the holiday hullabaloo with disgust, recalling the Grinch's agitated objections to all the "noise, noise, noise, NOISE!" In Dr. Seuss's story, the Grinch catches the Christmas spirit when he hears the Whos singing, devoid of their traditional trimmings. In A Very Merry Cricket, it takes the song of one sincere insect to spread the Christmas spirit to every citizen of a chaotic city.

Like many of Jones' productions, it has a message that it hammers over the heads of the viewers, but the heavy-handedness doesn't bother me this time around. We're treated to scene after scene of cacophony as shoppers shove each other and traffic blares and hideous animatronic Santas boom out stilted Christmas greetings. How different Chester's stirring wingsong sounds from all that clatter!

But along with the message of "Peace on Earth, goodwill to men," there are also several action-packed escape sequences: Tucker from a very persistent Connecticut cat, Harry from a belligerent Connecticut dog, Chester from relentless New York feet. Not to mention a fantastic toboggan ride inspiring Tucker to sing, "Oh, what fun it is to ride on a one-cat open sleigh!"

It's not quite as classic as How the Grinch Stole Christmas, but fans of the first Chester, Tucker and Harry cartoon should find A Very Merry Cricket to be very merry indeed.

Arabian Nights Meets Stone Soup in Mouse Soup

I love Arnold Lobel, so I was disappointed when his Mouse Tales failed to deliver the level of enjoyment I usually derive from his books. As a result, I was tentative upon opening Mouse Soup, which is described as that collection's companion. Happily, though these stories boast no recurring characters, which doesn't allow for the sort of development that happens in such books as the Frog and Toad collections, they are richly imaginative and amusing, and they all tie together in the end with the mouse's clever plan to escape being the main ingredient in mouse soup.

The book begins and ends with a mouse who has been disturbed from his reading by a sudden weasel attack. Before the weasel can cook him, the mouse's quick wits win him some time as he informs his captor that the soup will be no good without a few stories to add flavor. The gullible weasel agrees to hear the mouse's stories, at the conclusion of which he even more trustingly follows the mouse's complicated instructions for getting the stories into the soup.

The first is Bees and the Mud, the tale of a clever mouse who finds himself in an annoying situation when a bees' nest falls on his head. The bees want to stay right where they are. Luckily, he has a scheme for changing their minds...

Two Large Stones is a melancholy tale but probably my favorite of the stories. Two rocks sit side by side amid the grass and flowers and wonder what sights lie on the other side of the hill. When a passing bird tells them of the beauties they are missing, they are very sad... until a mouse comes along and offers them a different perspective.

The Crickets made me laugh because it reminds me of a familiar situation in my home. Mom might say to Dad, "Buy some peanut butter, but make sure it isn't crunchy." Unfortunately, as "crunchy" is the last word to reach his ears, that is precisely what he remembers, so the instruction has the opposite effect. Such is the case here, in which a mouse maid attempts to drive away a growing ensemble of cricket musicians who only catch the last part of her plea and not the negatives that precede it, leading to confusion and increased aggravation.

Finally, The Thorn Bush is the off-beat story of an eccentric old mousemaid who enlists the aid of a passing policemouse when the thorn bush growing in her chair begins to droop. His solution to her woes is simple but effective, and his efforts are rewarded in more ways than one.

Each of the stories is about ten pages long. The drab illustrations are very nicely done, if not quite to Frog and Toad standards. I especially applaud Two Large Stones; Lobel really does manage to make two hunks of rock look depressed. All told, a charming collection for beginning readers that makes up for my slight disappointment with Mouse Tales.

The Very Quiet Cricket

The vivid pictures and simple story make this book a very enjoyable read for youngsters who are just beginning to read on their own. It tells the tale of a cricket who cannot chirp. He goes about his business throughout the story, coming across a different animal on each page. Each different animal has a different way of saying hello, but the poor cricket cannot say anything in reply. Then, just as he is about to sink into the depths of despair, he hears a noise more beautiful than any he has heard yet. Who is this mysterious stranger? And is she just what he needs to get him to speak up?

This is a fun book for young children to read. Not only is it a good story dealing with loneliness and a search for companionship, it is educational as it describes the noises made by various creatures. And the surprise ending is sure to leave the reader squealing with delight. If you enjoy this book, try Eric Carle's other books. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" is especially fun. And for more books along these lines, check out "Are You My Mother?" and "Is Your Mama a Llama?".